On Thursday, an eighth House committee approved a bill to legalize marijuana in Minnesota. In fact, the House Education Finance Committee cleared the legislation in an 8-6 vote.

House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D), Speaker Melissa Hortman (D), and other lawmakers are sponsors of the legislation. As a matter of fact, it was introduced by Winkler in February of this year.

The bill will allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis. Residents will be able to cultivate up to eight plants, four of which can be mature.

Generally, in the state legislatures, people consider eight committee stops to be a lot. But this proposal still has more to go. Next, it will head to the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Committee.

At Thursday’s hearing, Winkler said the bill “seeks to right many of the past wrongs that have been caused by a war on drugs that has been based on false information related to the dangers of cannabis and has, unfortunately, led to the over-policing and over-targeting of certain communities in Minnesota, particularly communities of color.”

The writers of the bill intend it to create a better system for regulation. The current system for cannabis simply does not work, Winkler said.

Previously the bill passed through the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee, the House State Government Finance and Elections Committee, and the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee.

The bill should pass through the remaining panels by the end of April. A floor vote should occur sometime in May.

The Future of the Legislation

If the bill makes its way through the House and to the Senate, it will have an uphill battle to pass.

The Republican-controlled Senate, lawmakers have indicated that they are more interested in revising the existing medical cannabis program than enacting the legalization of adult-use cannabis.

As part of the legislation, social equity will be a priority. In part by ensuring diverse licensing and preventing big corporations from monopolizing the market. Another step is expunging prior marijuana records.

On-site consumption and cannabis delivery services will be legal. In addition to this, the bill will prohibit local municipalities from banning or prohibiting marijuana businesses from operating in their areas.

The retail cannabis sales will have a 10 percent tax and a portion of the revenue will go towards funding a grant program designed to promote economic development and community stability.

The retail sales for cannabis would launch in December 2022.

Make sure to check back for more cannabis and hemp related news.